Friday, April 30, 2010

Boggle the sensibilities of the politically correct with a handbag that reeks of sinful tobacco, but is crafted from eco-holier-than-thou recycled materials. Six individual compartments fashioned from cigarette packs, each clasped individually with a pop-top tab closure. The handle is woven from cigarette pack foil in the best grade school tradition.

Were there ever two pieces of garbage more ideally suited to each other? Join an old doll's head with a damaged duck decoy and voila! Baby Duck made its debut on Lake Merritt in Oakland, California decades ago, anchored fifteen feet from the east shore. Joggers, strollers, and sidewalk bums stopped to peer at the mysterious migrant. Some threw stones. One young man, after calling out to Baby Duck repeatedly, trying to get it to come closer to shore, settled down on the stone ledge by the lake and watched it for an hour or so until the sun went down. I rowed out and rescued Baby Duck, which had begun to ship water and list to one side, the next day.

What is life without a little magic? This apothecary kit, assembled from a recycled wire bin, tin can lids and broken bits and pieces contains an assortment of materials from which to make who knows what. The apothecary boxes are made from recycled, sculpted and dried lemon and orange peels.

What if you’re caught out on the street with a major myocardial infarction and a passel of overeager paramedics? This pin should do the trick, fashioned from an old tin can lid and broken jewelry.

Be prepared for harassment from right-to-lifers. Apparently, not only do they think they can tell pregnant women what to do, they’re perfectly ready to tell you that you have to stay alive whether you want to or not.

Friday, April 23, 2010

How do you embroider Wonder Bread? Very, very carefully. How long do they last? I have a couple of slices that are over four years old that look just like new. Note the homage to Van Gogh's "Starry Night" in position three below.

In 1921 Elmer Cline came up with the name "Wonder Bread," inspired by the sight of hundreds of colorful balloons filling the sky during an international balloon race. The experience gave him a sense of wonder and thus the name of the iconic American sliced white bread.

As an artist, I wondered how many different things I could do and make with Wonder Bread. The results are shown in the postings below (or above, depending on how you're reading this blog).